To be consumed as a single dish, accompanied by traditional chicory or spread on crumbly croutons. Broad bean puree it is a poor but rich dish: coming from the Apulian peasant tradition and therefore cheap, it brings with it numerous health benefits. Rich in protein and low in fat, beans are the legume that lends itself well to the creation of a delicious puree (or puree) to be consumed in various ways. The most famous? The puree of broad beans and chicory that cannot be missed if we are talking about typical dishes of Southern Italy. Let’s see how to prepare a creamy bean puree to accompany vegetables or a delicious second course of fish, such as Sea bass baked in foil.

Preparation

1

Wash the dried broad beans under running water and pour them into a saucepan two-thirds full of water: the water must be a finger higher than the broad beans.
Put the saucepan to simmer and add the potato cut into cubes of about 2 cm (it helps to make the puree more creamy). Also add the salt and cook for 30/35 minutes, until the beans are soft and fall apart when pressed with a spoon. If the water evaporates completely before the end of cooking, add more if necessary with a glass.

2

Once cooked, pour the beans into a large bowl, add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and mix by pressing them with a wooden spoon until a homogeneous puree is formed. If you prefer a less rustic puree with a smoother consistency, we recommend blending the mixture with an immersion blender for a few seconds. Finally, serve with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.

Accessories

• A saucepan
• A wooden spoon
• A hand blender (for the finer version)

Tips and tricks

• If you add the potato, a slight foam may form during cooking due to the release of the starch. In this case you can remove it very easily using a skimmer.
• We used the dried broad beans for the preparation of the broad bean purée, but you could also use the fresh ones.
• This recipe is traditionally combined with chicory, which is seared in a pot and added on the finish to compose the combination in the dish. But you could also combine other vegetables with mashed broad beans, better if they are rather bitter.
• To flavor your fava bean puree, try adding a sprig of shredded rosemary to give an aromatic touch to your dish.

storage

You can keep your fava bean puree (or fava bean puree) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 days. You could also opt for freezing in the freezer.

History

From peasant poverty comes one of the typical dishes of Apulian cuisine and, in general, of Southern Italy: the fava bean puree. But the beans come from very ancient times and bring with them myths and legends. The Greeks offered them to the gods Bacchus and Mercury for the transport of the souls of the dead. Their story continues with the ancient Romans, who began to see this legume as a lucky element. Even today, in the regions of central Italy, if seven bean seeds (popularly called the ‘seven brothers’) are found in the pod, it is marked by fortune.

In less ancient times, beans represented one of the fundamental foods for the nutrition of the poorest and most peasant population. Rich in nutrients and substantial, these legumes helped to give the right boost for daily work.